Ashley Budd

The Pennsylvania Alliance for Design of Open Textbooks (PA-ADOPT) is pleased to announce the immediate availability of our ninth free and open eTextbook: "The Digital Storytelling Handbook" by Jordan Schugar, Professor of English, and Chris Penny, Professor of Educational Foundations & Policy Studies, at West Chester University of Pennsylvania (WCU). Other contributors include Hannah Glatt, Learning Experience and eTextbook Designer, and Autumn Hudson, Tu Le, Sarah Mangano, and Victoria McQuiston, Graduate Students at WCU. It is available for download at https://lnkd.in/eJ5M94eG. “The Digital Storytelling Handbook is designed to provide an introduction to digital storytelling and its multifaceted applications in the higher education classroom space. This eTextbook gives storytellers practical tools to help them think about different reasons for making digital stories and different ways to think about using and incorporating digital stories into teaching, learning, and living. In this eTextbook, readers will also learn how experiencing digital stories – as either the author or the audience – builds cultural competence and teaches us about humanity and the human experience. Co-authored with students, this eTextbook was written in the spirit of OER with the expectation that future readers and students have an opportunity to contribute a chapter, idea, approach, or methodology of the eTextbook’s basic content.”   Hudson, Le, Mangano, and McQuiston were all students in Dr. Penny's EDT 530: Digital Media Production and Storytelling course during the Spring 2024 semester. In this course, students participated in the development of an Open Educational Resource (OER) utilizing an approach known as Open Pedagogy. According to the University of Texas at Arlington Libraries, it is "the practice of engaging with students as creators of information rather than simply consumers of it. It's a form of experiential learning in which students demonstrate understanding through the act of creation. The products of open pedagogy are student created and openly licensed so that they may live outside of the classroom in a way that has an impact on the greater community." This is the first PA-ADOPT eTextbook to utilize Open Pedagogy. Please help us spread the word about our eTextbooks and web site to further our work to reduce costs for students, bring equity to higher education classrooms, and give faculty the flexibility to design their own learning experiences. All of our books are available to download in both ePub and PDF formats from https://paadopt.org/. #HigherEd #OER #DEI #EdTech

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I've been thinking a lot about what I'm calling "sophisticated use" of Generative AI in Marketing. As I continue to practice with Generative AI in content development and as I observe students and others utilizing Generative AI in their content creation I am learning that, much like any "new" technology tool, there are varying levels of quality in the use of the tool. As an educator committed to supporting the success of my students for the long haul, seeing "lazy" or "poor" use of Generative AI concerns me. Especially in the marketing arena. I am curious what others think about the quality of use of GenAI in Marketing content creation and how might you define a scale of "poor" to "sophisticated"? And would you be interested in reading a more in-depth post about my thoughts on this topic? This is what Claude "thinks" lazy use is. Not a bad start IMHO. #aiinmarketing #generativeai

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In today's climate, demonstrating the value of higher education is paramount. Higher ed leaders need to tell a compelling story—one that leverages data to show diverse pathways while forging strong partnerships with employers to bridge education and career success. How is your institution defining the ROI of higher education? Today's post was inspired by this Higher Ed Dive article: https://lnkd.in/eQmG2g57

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I’m going to tell you another truth about higher ed. marketing… There’s always pressure to do more. But let’s recognize the value of doing less…better. Less print materials. Less social media. Less web pages. Less programs. Less events. Less video. Less email. Less ads. Quality over quantity. This is the way. End of story. 👊🏼 #Highereducationleadership #Higheredmarketing #Highereducation

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In today's dynamic educational landscape, small to medium-sized nonprofit institutions are navigating challenges that demand a strategic approach aligned with their core mission. I've developed the Value Lens Approach, a framework to guide institutions in aligning actions and resources with their mission and core distinctions. In my latest article, I delve into how the Value Lens Approach can empower educational leaders to boost institutional resilience and performance. This method emphasizes strategic alignment, data-driven decision-making, and optimized resource management to ensure decisions support long-term sustainability and success. Explore how this approach can revolutionize your institution’s strategy and operations: https://lnkd.in/euaR8c_f #HigherEducation #StrategicPlanning #ValueLens #Leadership #NonprofitInstitutions #EducationInnovation #Sustainability #CoreEducation

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As we celebrate the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (#ADA34), let’s also use this moment to mark a new era in higher education – an era of collaboration and bold thinking about access that leads to equitable outcomes for all. My piece in Diverse: Issues In Higher Education calls on other university leaders to center learners with disabilities in our #HigherEducation systems. As #HigherEd institutions, we have a responsibility to build truly inclusive systems. At Southern New Hampshire University, we know when we do this, all of #TodaysLearners benefit.  More on how we can do this and why it matters: https://lnkd.in/eF2GGw7r      

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What will shape the future of online and professional education in 2025? Institutions must prepare for significant shifts in workforce alignment, technological innovation, and evolving learner demands. Key trends include the rise of microcredentials, AI-powered learning, and workforce-aligned programs, alongside new challenges such as regulatory changes and the need for data-driven decision-making. With increasing emphasis on partnerships between higher education and industry, institutions that embrace adaptability and innovation will thrive in this new era. How is your institution preparing to meet these challenges and opportunities head-on? For more insights on this, check out UPCEA's Predictions 2025: Insights for Online & Professional Education report https://lnkd.in/grbhMEQr

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Excellent article about the future of higher education. Workforce development is key.

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I’m going to tell you another truth about higher ed. marketing… There’s always pressure to do more. I get it. But let’s recognize the value of doing less…better. Less print materials. Less social media. Less web pages. Less programs. Less events. Less ads. Quality over quantity. This is the way. End of story. 👊🏼 #Highereducationleadership #Higheredmarketing #Highereducation

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Digital credentials that display the skills of learners are an opportunity [for higher education]. And they believe digital wallets or learning and employment records (LERs) could even help change the narrative around higher education. Lynn Pasquerella, president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, said the project “signals how higher education can come together to catalyze support for advancing students’ career readiness for a future that will benefit all of us.” The coalition includes AACRAO, EDUCAUSE,  American Association of Colleges and Universities,   UPCEA,  National Association of Colleges and Employers,  Association for Institutional Research (AIR), American Council on Education,  Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN), and 1EdTech Consortium. Its focus will be: Raising awareness of LERs and innovative credentials among learners, educators, employers, and institutions. Advocating for policy changes that give a boost to LERs. Integrating the tools into courses and curricula, including general education. Developing resources and guidelines for colleges. Measuring the impact of LERs on student learning, retention, graduation, and postgraduation career success. via Paul Fain Full article: https://lnkd.in/gSQNbdTs

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If you know me, you know I've become obsessed with understanding problems and love the art of deciding what's the right problem to solve. For #SXSWEDU I'm partnering with some fellow design and systems thinking experts Sheryl Cababa & Deirdre Cerminaro Vote for us and bring us your problems. We'll help make sure you spend your precious time on the most impactful problems/solutions. https://lnkd.in/gaPMGciV

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During the early days of the post-COVID world, many higher education faculty wondered, “What now?” In their 2022 EDUCAUSE article, Amy Kuntz, Sara Davis, and Erica Fleming from Penn State University highlighted several ways that the pandemic changed traditional faculty development. Higher education is a "changing landscape". As we continue to navigate these new waters, what is your university doing now for faculty development? What support is provided to help you in these uncertain times? And, is it all about teaching or are there other areas of your work as an educator that fall within your university’s definition of faculty development? I hope you will share your thoughts in a comment below. https://lnkd.in/dcruYeb4

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Wonderful post from Julia Rice about shedding your skin and new beginnings. And a new word for you: Ecdysis.

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This past spring I was invited to participate in the Center on Reinventing Public Education's AI Learning Forum. AI raises a host of questions and issues for all of us - in K12 and higher education, some good some not so much. Readers of my blog will know that I have spent quite a lot of my time and energy on these issues over the past couple of years. I really enjoyed meeting and spending a couple of days, at this forum, with a bunch of smart people, learning and talking, exploring the possibilities, challenges of generative AI. CRPE has taken these conversations and crafted a report title: Wicked Opportunities: Leveraging AI to Transform Education. The report takes a balanced view on how AI can address “wicked problems” like achievement gaps and teacher shortages, but not shying away from the challenges that of  bridging existing disparities and aligning edtech developments with student needs. In brief, the report recommends: Convene and connect cross-sector leaders to strengthen AI literacy in support of education. Seed a national education leadership strategy. Focus on the “art of the possible” to spread powerful ideas for transforming education in the age of AI. Catalyze investment in research and development for early-stage AI adoptions, innovations, and collaborations. You can read more about our takeaways and action plan for leaders in the field.  https://bit.ly/3WviNWe   #AI #Education #CRPEForum #EdTech #Innovation

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This is a great article from Georgiana Cohen on formalizing AI policy, with some really good examples from a few universities. I talked about this process at University of Rochester with Brian Piper and Megan J. Crawford on the most recent episode of Breaking Silos. https://lnkd.in/er8Xe2wa

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Check out the latest blog from my Waza partner, Simon West: “We’re the same people at work that we are in our personal lives and the purchasing decisions we make are just as critical—and sometimes more so. Buy the wrong phone and you're stuck with it a couple of years until you can upgrade. Buy the wrong network security platform and you could be looking for another job.” https://lnkd.in/gXMQDggm

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The time has come to revise official but obsolete definitions that make graphic communications appear to be a dead end for students, career counselors, and employment seekers. Read about it here: https://lnkd.in/gv5H_AjJ #education #graphiccommunications #careers #academics

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